The Cape: Fighting for Truth, Justice, and the Right to Wear a Cape

All right, Palm City, if you want a superhero, you have to take the mask and the cape part, too. That’s the deal.

Dear NBC,

Look, I know you catch a lot of slack for not having the same huge ratings as some of your competitors. I know that’s what it’s all about. But here’s the thing: I made a list of all the television shows I watch and thanks primarily to your Thursday comedy night, I watch more shows on NBC than any other network. I know, I was surprised, too. Instead of yet another spinoff (we’ll accept your apology for Joey any day now) you’re taking some chances with shows that will inevitably not set ratings records. I know these types of shows are a tough sell to big audiences. We are busier than ever now and even with DVRs, Netflix, DVDs, and On Demand, we still have trouble keeping up with our favorite shows. But let me tell you something. Even after your last less than stellar comic book outing, I am so completely and totally in for The Cape.

Completely, I say.

What’s not to like? A masked vigilante based on a comic book, fantastic fight sequences, James Frain, AND Summer Glau? It’s like you read my mind. So bring it on NBC, give me big thrills on the small screen. Impress me with stunts and cheesy villains. Let Summer Glau kick some butt all over the corrupt Palm City.

Just don’t Heroes me.

Sincerely,

Your Friendly Neighborhood Blogger

So it begins…

In the crime-ridden metropolis of Palm City, Vince Faraday (David Lyons) is a sergeant struggling with both crime and the possibility of dirty cops working against him. Orwell, blogger extraordinaire, strives to uncover the truth. In fact, the mysterious blogger has exposed some dirty cops, including one guy who couldn’t look dirtier if his name were Pig Pen. Donna Williams reads Orwell’s blog via Internet Explorer version 4.0 so Vince immediately tells her to “move” and then installs Google Chrome and the city is saved. Only for the moment however as the city’s criminal mastermind, Chess, is still bent on mayhem and chaos and bad browser experiences. He probably has a pro-Voldemort bumper sticker, too.

The new chief delivers a rousing speech to rally the public. As he gets into his car to leave, he finds Chess sitting behind the wheel and Donna Williams with a bullet in her head. Not good. He tosses some device* in the back seat causing him to choke. The car explodes knocking Vince over and killing the chief. Chess isn’t playing around here.

*Cape-toid: Orwell later reveals to Vince that the device is actually a rapidly expanding chemical explosive called L-9. Apparently, the chief’s SUV is supremely airtight. I’m not sure my refrigerator can seal that well.

Due to the assassination of the chief, a shady company known as ARK plans to privatize the police force in six months. Vince’s friend Marty thinks he should join ARK now and be ahead of the curve. Vince meets with the company head, Peter Fleming, who offers him a job to start Monday morning.

Vince reads to his son, Trip, from “The Cape” comic book. How delightfully meta. Vince’s wife, Dana, says goodnight and then goes and sleeps on the couch? I don’t even think it’s a full-size couch. It’s like a love seat.

Marty and Vince meet down at the train yard to find the secret shipment of L-9 inside of some dolls. While there, the bad guys apprehend Vince while Marty refuses to help. It’s a setup! Chess, like any proper bad guy, spells out his plan to Vince. He puts the Chess mask on him and then tells him to run like the wind!

Running through the train yard, running through the train yard, running through the train yard! Vince tries to pull off the mask but the ARK task force is already after him. He rolls under a train car and falls into a sewer line right as the train car explodes above him. Dana and Trip watch in horror on the local news from home. The next day, Peter Fleming announces that Chess is dead and that ARK will take over the police operations for Palm City.

Vince wakes up among some circus folk, one of whom likes to have a nice glass of red wine while interrogating his guests. Vince, not really appreciating being tied up for the second time today, just wants to know where he is. The man is Max Malini, head of the gang known as the “Carnival of Crime.” They are professional bank robbers, which is not a bad gig if you can get it. Vince gives them his ARK keycard to open any bank in Palm City, which sounds like a major security flaw IMO. Let the bank robbing begin!

Max drops some truth bombs on Vince. He says that if Vince resurfaces, Chess will kill his family. He also informs Vince that killing Peter Fleming won’t solve their problems. They need to take his money. Vince finds an old dusty cape* among the Carnival’s old possessions. Vince fantasizes about becoming his son’s hero, The Cape. Let the training begin!

Cape-toid: There are 37 illusions using only a cape. Grabbing wine glasses and disappearing are only two of them.

Down at the train yard, Vince gets into a scuffle with Scales, the guy who is bringing in the L-9 for Chess. Vince gives it the old college try but Scales is too strong. He wraps Vince in chains and throws him in the marina, effectively daring him to pull a Houdini*. Vince read the escaping chapter during his training quite thoroughly and swims to the surface with ease. Someone snaps a picture of Vince as The Cape! Oh no!

Cape-toid: Harry Houdini once escaped from the belly of a whale for one of his tricks. A dead whale, but still. As some of our astute readers may remember, entering the belly of the whale is a critical part of the hero’s journey. You know you love it.

Vince tracks down the pap and discovers the mysterious Orwell is a none other than Summer Glau, your typical streetwise, sexy, nerdy blogger! I have to say, she has a tremendous computer setup in her garage.

Vince and Orwell pledge to work together help Max and save Palm City. Rollo takes out Scales and Vince saves Max. Orwell jams the cell phones before Chess can release the two tons of L-9 into Palm City. The Cape and Orwell save the day! This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Vince visits his son as the Cape and gives a terrible impersonation of not his father. He tells him to practice his math and eat his vegetables because sure, why not. A week later, Vince finds out that kicking butt and taking names while wearing tights and a cape is, well, kind of fun.

Let’s stop here a minute and discuss the Pilot episode. NBC shot the first episode several months in advance of the second episode. That’s just how network TV works. As such, it can be a real challenge to keep the same tone and feel for episodes shot so far apart. That is something to consider while watching the second hour. The Cape doesn’t pretend to be something it isn’t and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The bad guys sneer and shout threats. The good guys punch with the power of kicks and look good doing it.

They didn’t waste time revealing the identities of Chess and Orwell, thankfully. Those are not big reveals. If we find out that Vince and Peter Fleming are related, then that’s a twist. Still, The Cape is not trying to be profound. It’s campy fun and it’s ok to laugh. This is most certainly NOT Heroes which took itself so seriously that it collapsed under its own self-proclaimed air of superiority. For example, the criminals at the end of the first episode call the clerk “Borat,” which at first sounds like a stupid dated reference. However, the fact that the actor actually WAS in Borat makes it more of a wink-wink reference. That’s all right in my book.

I’m not exactly sure where The Cape goes from here. I don’t see it as a particularly serialized drama. The stakes are fairly simple. Until Vince can take down Chess/Peter Fleming/ARK, he must remain in hiding. He will continue to fight crime in Palm City, just with a cape instead of a badge. So long as it continues to not take itself too seriously, it’s good escapism television.

This episode begins with some Chicago B-roll* even though they use LA B-Roll in other places. Chicago’s skyline is really quite distinctive. Now that ARK has taken over the police force, their next task is to take over the prison system. Vince breaks into Peter Fleming’s swank condo and rifles through his computer files. I say “rifled” because that’s how these fancy computers work in Palm City. He literally has to flip his fingers like he’s going through a card catalog to find to the file he wants. That is going to be painstakingly tedious for everyday work. Peter’s henchman, Cain, throws a toxin-laced knife into Vince. Sensing danger, Vince flings himself out of the window and uses his cape to only marginally slow his decent before Orwell is able to rescue him. You would think the cape would allow for some serious gliding. That must not have made the top 37 cape tricks. Also, Cain has a tower tarot card* tattoo on his wrist.

Cape-Toid1: While The Cape shoots in Los Angeles, they use the Chicago skyline in their B-roll footage here. You may be familiar with a certain caped crusader movie and sequel that was shot in Chicago.

Cape-toid2: The Tower tarot card is often feared by tarot readers. It corresponds with a great falsehood being revealed to the person drawing the card, a core belief being shaken to the ground. It is also a symbol of war. While the tower may be synonymous with strength and power, in this case, the tower comes crashing down.

Orwell takes Vince to see Max and remove the poison. After a little Nightshade and some leeches, Vince pulls through, although you know, gross. Max tells Vince to move far away with his family and to change their names. Max confiscates the cape and Vince storms out.

Vince spends some quality time alone training himself in knife dodging and chemistry. While doing so, he has flashbacks to happier times with Dana and Trip. He also fashions a mask because seriously, it’s hard to hide your face consistently with a hoodie.

Vince tries to solicit information about the hit on Patrick Portman, the prison guy. Orwell believes that Cain is part of a secret society of killers. Cain would be the kind of killer who poisons people, obviously. Vince meets his contact at the shady bar and finds out the hit will go down tomorrow night. He sees Cain walk out just as everyone in the bar collapses, foams at the mouth, and well, dies. That was entirely unnecessary, Cain.

Vince meets with Portman to let him know the dealio. The whiskey is poisoned, he’s The Cape (minus the cape), and there are others who want to stand up to Peter Fleming. Got it? Good.

Vince plays around inside the ARK system using Marty’s password. Cain’s real name is Raimonde LaFleur*. “The Flower” used to be a chef before dabbling in the poisoning people line of work. Max stops by Vince’s pad to give him the cape back. The capeless wonder no more, Vince heads off to save the day.

Cape-toid: First a Faraday and now a LaFleur? LOST… sigh…

Orwell goes out to a fancy dinner to keep her eye on Portman. Cain is the master chef whose specialty dish is Chicken D’Poison with a sprig of parsley. Cain, Orwell, and Vince have a good old-fashioned kitchen fight, one of my favorite kinds of fights. They subdue Cain and Vince disappears in a cloud of black smoke in front of Peter Fleming.

.

Portman announces that he will not allow Peter Fleming and ARK to take control of the prison system. Well, that was easy. The Cape will be watching over you, citizens of Palm City. I mean, literally, watching over you. He’s on top of that skyscraper over there, watching you sleep.

Ok, obviously there wasn’t nearly as much going on in the second episode as the first but it gave a better indication of what kind of show The Cape will be week after week. I wonder if there will be more members of this Tarot gang of murderers to deal with going forward. If so, I’ll have to do a lot of Tarot card studying in the future, and probably get a reading myself.

So what kind of show do you want The Cape to be? Were you happy with the first two episodes? For the most part, the world of The Cape has its grounds in reality. Yes, the cape seems to possess some supernatural characteristics (making wine glasses jump across the room is a remarkable skill) but for the most part, Vince is simply an ordinary man fighting crime in the big, scary city. Do you like that or do you wish he could read minds or teleport? I’m completely fine with a masked vigilante trying to restore order to a corrupt town.